Passing Destinies
by Cloudy Daze
Summary: As the demon threat continues to rage through the towns, several young men struggle to escape the onslaught and save the world from destruction. Yaoi, Tezuka x Fuji, Inui x Kaidoh, several others to come.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Passing Destinies Author: Cloudy Daze Rating: Well right now it's PG-13. Knowing me it will probably go up later as time goes by. Category/Warning: Angst, Sap, AU, Magic/Sorcerers my usual favorite thing to write , OOC Pairings: Tezuka x Fuji, Oishi x Kikumaru, Inui x Kaidoh, Momo x Echizen Feedback: But of course. Author's Notes: sighs and beats the muses down with a stick Once again they didn't listen to me and once again I started yet another fic. Not only a new fic but I new anime for me as well. I guess Nagi wrote a Prince of Tennis one so I have to as well. I'm so in love with this anime. Even though I never seem to really watch it. hangs head If you haven't watched this anime I really suggest doing it. Its being fan subbed by Anime-Otaku and the manga is being put out right now here in the US by Viz... although frankly it is Viz so expect a long wait between volumes. Anyways... hope everyone enjoys it and hopefully I can get the muses to actually work on the old ones. (- Nagi: at least she can get her muses to work!) 

Passing Destinies Chapter One

The screams filled the once peaceful town as the people were slaughtered. The bloody corpses littered the once clean grass, staining it deep red. The demons cared nothing about their prey, killing women and children with no mercy. Bodies were ripped to shreds as sharp claws dug through tender flesh, lapping hungrily at the pulsing blood that gushed forth.

The creatures stilled suddenly when a bolt of lightening slashed down, frying one of them instantly. Red eyes rose up, growls sounding at the tall human who had dared to challenge them.

The older man stood proud, garbed in an all black cloak that covered the rest of his outfit. Brown eyes glared at the evil beings, white hair cascading down his back. The demons quickly lunged for the human, fangs dripping with blood. The male's eyes slid shut as he chanted in a strange tongue. When he was finished the orbs opened, flashing blinding white. A wave of blazing light enveloped his body before growing in size. By the time it faded the demons were gone, the only trace of them being the destruction of the people and the town.

The light haired figure moaned loudly as he dropped to his knees. 'Damn! I knew I didn't have enough power for that. I just couldn't let more people die.'

He blinked in surprise when he heard faint sniffling. He turned, brown eyes landing on a small child. He looked to be about six, wearing a faded pair of blue shorts and a torn white shirt. Dark red hair curled up slightly around his round face, large dark blue eyes gazing at him.

"Are you going to be alright?" the child asked softly.

"I'm not sure," the man answered slowly, "Are you by yourself?"

The small child whimpered slightly as he nodded. Small fingers wiped at the softly watering orbs. "Mommy and Daddy were killed by the demons. They told me to hide in the cellar in the backyard. I heard you though and came out to see. I know you stopped the demons and Mommy would have wanted me to make sure you were not hurt."

The older individual took a deep breath, fighting the urge to give in to his body's desire to rest. 'There is no one else around. I don't want to burden a child but I have no other choice.' The man indicated for the small boy to come beside him. He then placed his hands against the soft cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he murmured before digging one fingernail into the tender flesh of the boy's right cheek. The child cried out in pain as the man chanted something quickly. Another blinding light filled the town before fading into nothing as the town's savior took one last breath before dying.

Ten years later

"What are you doing? Can I see it? Can I, Can I? Please! Oh come on... I want to know!" the red head bounced, eyes full of uncontrolled energy. The slender figure's body was in full motion as he hopped from one foot to the next, attempting to see what was cupped in the other individual's hand.

The male sighed as he opened his fingers, allowing the once bright spark in his hand to die out. He brushed the brown hair from his face, fixing his glasses. He glared up, about to chastise the hyper male when a hand settled on his shoulder. Brown orbs softened as his anger faded away. 'Fuji always seems to do that to me. I can't stay mad when he's around.'

"NowEiji you know that in order for Tezuka to do a spell he needs silence. I know you're excited but wait until he finishes before asking," the blue eyes teen chided, a smile gracing his lips.

The overactive teen pouted slightly, eyes so wide it was next to impossible for anyone to stay mad at him. The younger male just had this affect on everyone. He was only a year younger then Tezuka and Fuji, but both considered him a little brother of sorts. The smiling male had been only a child when his mother had returned from a trip; a small red head glanced at him shyly between her legs. She had then told him that the boy was going to stay with them. Kikumaru had apparently lost his parents to a demon attack but remembered nothing of the horrible occurrence. Fuji's mother had found him unconscious in the town and had quickly taken him to a healer. Since the boy couldn't seem to remember anything she had willingly took him in. Fuji had been with Kikumaru ever since, being the calm sounding board to keep the hyper boy out of trouble.

"I'll behave. Sorry Tezuka," the red head murmured, head lowered.

The brunette sighed, patting the younger male on the head. "Don't worry about it. How about you gather firewood? We're not going to make the next town until tomorrow so we'll need it."

"I can do that!" Kikumaru exclaimed as he scrambled out of the clearing. Fuji chucked as he left, slipping his hand down to rest on the taller individual's waist. Brilliant blue eyes finally opened, gazing warmly at the other male. Tezuka leaned down, brushing lips against the other's mouth. When they broke away Fuji smiled as he set his head on the male's shoulder.

"It seems like we've been running for years instead of just a month," the smaller male murmured.

Tezuka sighed as he ran fingers through the soft brown hair. He had been but a simple traveling merchant when he came to the quiet town where Fuji and Kikumaru had lived. His father did metal work, creating items of beauty and strength. Tezuka had helped with the work and both moved from town to town selling their fares. All that had stopped when they reached the one town. His father had become ill and was ordered to stay in the town until he recovered. While waiting for the man to recover Tezuka became acquainted with Syusuke. This feeling deepened as the time went on. Sadly his father was not able to overcome the illness and passed away several months later. Fuji refused to let him leave, demanding that he stay in the town with him. The brunette smirked at the thought, 'Syusuke can be very convincing when he wants to be.' Tezuka had lived with his family for two years before that terrible day a month ago transpired.

He shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the awful images. The town had been attacked by demons, just like Eiji's had been so very long ago. They destroyed everything, killing everyone except for the few that managed to escape. The three teens had managed to get out, however Fuji's mother was not so lucky. Both males were still getting over her death, struggling to forget the violence. The incident had also triggered Kikumaru to begin having dreams again. Fuji had told him that when they were younger and the hyperactive red head had first joined the family he had nightmares about the destruction of his town and death of his parents. Apparently the recent yet similar violent acts had reawakened those past memories.

Tezuka was snapped from his thoughts when he heard a scream not to far off. Brown eyes widened as Fuji jerked from his hold.

"That was Eiji!" he exclaimed as he bolted off towards where his brother had left. Tezuka quickly followed in his wake, ignoring the branches that scratched as his face and arms. Both froze when the broke into a clearing. Kikumaru was on the ground, eyes wide as he stared frozen at the large cobra glaring at him.

"Help," the redhead whimpered.

"I swear Killias. You have the manners of your owner. Sometimes I wish you would shed your skin and get stuck in it. That way I don't have to deal with you," a voice commented from above them. All three glanced up, searching for the speaker. All three blinked when a cat dropped to the ground between Kikumaru and the snake.

The cobra hissed, showing his fangs at the other animal before slithering off into a bush. The cat growled before settling down to clean his paws.

"Did... did you just speak?" Fuji asked.

"Of course. I swear you humans. Look like you've never seen a familiar before. Or is it just that I'm a cat. Heaven forbid a sorcerer ends up with a common housecat instead of like a tiger or lion," the feline spoke.

"That's so neat! I mean I've heard of familiars and sorcerers but I've never met one before," Kikumaru said excitedly, "Can you do anything with magic?"

"Well I am talking aren't I? I figure that's pretty good for an animal," the cat retorted.

"You'll have to excuse both of them. They haven't traveled much. I've been around although I must admit I've never seen a familiar talk to anyone. Usually they just communicate telepathically with their masters," Tezuka commented.

"That's just because most familiars are stuck up as anything. Like Killias there. He's a familiar but he doesn't talk to anyone but his master. Just hisses at everyone else. Although that's how his master acts to so maybe they're not to far off. I, on the other hand, enjoy talking. Humans can be interesting if you're willing to actually talk to them. If you don't they're usually so boring," the familiar remarked. The cat then began to clean his tail, purring when the redhead leaned forward, rubbing his head with his right hand. "Well aren't you lovely? Can you scratch me an inch behind my left shoulder? It's been driving me crazy."

Kikumaru did as he was instructed, causing the cat to arch his back. "See if I didn't talk how would you know what to do? You humans can never do anything right unless you're told how to."

Fuji watched the actions of the two, smiling at his brother. "So what are you doing out here by yourself?"

The cat glanced up at the two standing teens. "Well I wasn't by myself. I was with the snake that tried to attack my back scratcher here. I'm traveling with my master, the snake's master, and this really creepy guy with glasses. If he offers you anything to drink for the love of God don't take it."

Tezuka blinked at the comment, deciding not to ask. He wasn't sure what to think about this sudden intrusion. 'I wonder if they're fleeing from the demons like we are. They more then likely are. It seems that nowhere is safe from those monsters.'

"So where are your traveling companions?" Kikumaru inquired, never once letting up on his affection towards the familiar. 'This is so great. We've been traveling for so long and have never once run into anything like a familiar or a sorcerer. Maybe they'll travel with us. It would be fun to have more company. We've been at this for a month and only hit one small town. That place was so boring. I hope the next town is more exciting.'

"They're around here somewhere. I'm sure Killias will lead them right to us. They're probably mad at me for sneaking off but like I care. We're hitting the next town tomorrow anyways."

"Oh so you're going to Mildian as well? That's were we're heading. Have you ever been there before? Is it any fun?" Kikumaru inquired.

The familiar snorted at the redhead, shaking his head at the boundless energy. He then frowned as his nose picked up an unusual scent. "Something doesn't smell right." He muttered.

The bushes rustled as a deep snarl emanated from it. The demon sprang from the leaves, growling as he lunged at the humans.

TBC...

(Nagi storms off to tie Cloudy to her computer)


	2. Chapter Two

Passing Destinies

Chapter Two

The red head cried out, covering his eyes. He braced for the impact, frowning when he felt nothing. Kikumaru slowly opened blue orbs, noting that the demon was gone, only a dark mark on the ground left in its wake.

"Mada Mada Dane (1)," a soft voice spoke.

"Why can't your stupid familiar just stay with us?" a gruff voice protested.

"My data shows that your cat sneaks away 87.5 percent of the time."

Kikumaru blinked, gaze landing on the three individuals who had just arrived. The first that had spoken looked at least two years younger than him, although he had an aura about him that spoke of great arrogance. He had black hair and wore a brown cloak, which indicated his magical ability. He'd been told by Tezuka that most sorcerers wore brown. The healers wore a pale blue and the white mages, the most powerful of all magic users, wore deep black. _'I wonder why white mages use black... wouldn't it make more sense to wear white? What about the black mages... what do they wear? I'll have to remember to ask Tezuka next time we're alone.'_

"In case you didn't notice Kaidoh, your familiar ran off as well. He only just came back now to tell us where Karupin was," Echizen pointed out.

"Good master! Saving the back scratcher," the cat exclaimed as he made his way over to the youngest of the three.

Echizen sighed as he picked the creature up. "You want to explain what's going on?"

"Well I was busy taking a nap up the tree when evil Killias over there decided it would be fun to freak out that redhead over there. I stopped him and then found out that they're going to Mildian, which is where we're off to. Then the demon attacked and you came and saved them," the familiar explained.

"Thank you for saving my brother," Fuji spoke up, smiling brightly, "My name is Syusuke Fuji, Eiji Kikumaru Fuji is my brother over there, and this is Kunimitsu Tezuka." He indicted each individual as they were introduced.

"I'm Ryoma Echizen and you've already met my familiar Karupin," the younger male stated.

"Kaoru Kaidoh," the next male said simply. Kikumaru shivered, _'Scary. He doesn't look very nice at all and that snake is around his neck.'_ The male wore the same outfit as Echizen except for the addiction of a green bandana around his head. The large cobra was currently wrapped around his upper body, the head draped across his left shoulder.

"Sadaharu Inui. Interesting... I don't believe you two are actual brothers. 78 percent change that one of you was adopted, with 87.4 percent being that it was Kikumaru," the last male stated, right hand scribbling quickly on a worn notebook.

Kikumaru frowned, gazing at the male with short spiky hair and thick black glasses. "How did you know that?"

The male grinned. "It's all in the data."

"Scary..." the redhead murmured.

Kaidoh hissed before replying, "Inui does this all the time. Just ignore it."

"Would you care for a taste of my special high protein drink? It will give you over 30 essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs for the day," the man inquired, pulling the canteen out of his knapsack. He waved the item in front of Fuji, grinning widely when the smiling teen took it from him.

"Don't mind if I do," he remarked, opening the top.

"No! What did I tell you about him... You're going to..." the cat shivered as the liquid slid down the brunette's throat. "Well it was nice knowing you. They always die young."

"It's quite delicious. You did a good job," The blue eyed teen stated as he handed the container back. Echizen and Kaidoh's jaws dropped, eyes wide in shock. Kaidoh looked almost ill as he watched the other male's eyebrows rise.

"Interesting. Very interesting," Inui muttered, his hand once again posed over the paper.

"So what brings you three to Mildian?" the cat inquired.

"Our town was attacked. We're just trying to find someplace that's safe to stay," Tezuka stated. His brown eyes raked over the newcomers, studying them deeply to make sure they were harmless. '_If they were going to hurt us they would not have saved us.'_ He reasoned with himself. He frowned as his gaze landed on the youngest one. _'Echizen... Where have I heard that name before?'_

"Why are you off to Mildian?" Fuji asked.

"That is only a temporary destination. Our final destination is the capital," Inui informed.

"Echizen? As in King Echizen?" Tezuka spoke up, his mind finally recalling where he had heard the name.

The young male frowned, eyes gazing away. "That would be my worthless father. He's too busy with his concubines to pay attention to the fact that his kingdom is being ravaged by demons."

"You're a prince? That is so neat! What's it like? Do you have like servants and cooks and butlers and..." Kikumaru exclaimed, bouncing excitedly over to the black haired teen.

"Calm down," Fuji hushed.

"But Syusuke... I've never met a real prince before. I've never even met a sorcerer before either," the redhead protested.

"He's going to get annoying very fast," Kaidoh hissed to Inui.

The black haired individual said nothing as he continued to write everything that transpired down.

"You'll have to excuse my brother. He's always had the energy of twenty children. We've never really been outside of our hometown, except for the few times we went to the nearby town to shop," Fuji explained.

"It's starting to get dark. We need to find a spot to spend the night and start a fire," Tezuka pointed out.

"Since we're both going to the same town how about we stay together? Its always smarter to stay in a bigger group," Fuji suggested.

"That would seem like a logical choice," Inui stated.

"There was a clearing a little while back that looked like a good place for the night. We should go there," Karupin exclaimed, as he jumped from his master's arms. "Come back scratcher! I'll lead the way." Kikumaru grinned as he followed after the animal.

Fuji yawned, the warmth of both fire and Kunimitsu's body lulling him to sleep. His eyes fluttered open as he quickly glanced at the small campsite.Eiji was sound asleep several yards beside him, the cat curled up on the center of his back. Inui was sitting on the other side of the fire, still taking notes. Kaidoh was sleeping as well, his body resting against Inui's back. Echizen was sitting beside Tezuka, speaking softly so as to not wake the slumbering individuals.

"So you left the castle to try and help Inui and Kaidoh with the demons in their neighboring towns?" Tezuka inquired.

"My father is useless. He wasn't going to help at all. He didn't care. There are only five white mages total in the whole kingdom. He demands that two stay there at all times and tells the others that they are free to go anywhere to help with the demon problem. Because of this he has no clue where any of them are and since he won't send the two there to help he's not aiding any of the towns that are being attacked. I can't stand it anymore. So I went with them to see if I could be of any help. I'm not a white mage but I can at least fight the demons off one on one," Echizen stated, "It was too late however. By the time we got back to their hometown it had been destroyed."

"Fuji and Kikumaru lost their mother just a few days ago when their hometown was attacked," Tezuka added.

"What about you?" Echizen questioned.

"The town wasn't my hometown. I'd been living there for several years with Fuji and his family."

"I wouldn't let him leave," Syusuke murmured as he shifted, slipping his head into the lap of his boyfriend. Tezuka smiled for a moment, his left hand stroking the soft strands.

"My father is an idiot. Just sending the white mages to destroy the demons that attack towns isn't enough. They need to aim for the source of the attacks," Echizen murmured softly.

"The source? What do you mean?"

"The attacks have continued to increase with each passing week. My calculations show that there has been a 45 percent increase in attacks within the span of a month. If these trends continue the kingdom will be taken over in a little over 6 months," Inui informed, his eyes still on his notes.

"So there is someone controlling these creatures and forcing them to attack? Who could manage to control them?" Tezuka questioned.

"A very powerful black mage," Echizen claimed, "I've never seen one but in the history books their have been tales of battles waged between black and white mages. The black mages were defeated but I'm sure there is one out there, controlling the demons. The creatures aren't intelligent enough to attack the way they are."

"In what way are the attacks intelligent?" Fuji asked, eyes opening to gaze at the prince.

"Of the towns known to have been attacked 86.7 percent of them contained great sources of natural resources. Whoever is controlling the demons knows that taking out the materials that can aid the soldiers in defending the kingdom is one of the best strategies in taking over the major towns," Inui once again pointed out.

"Sounds like a very thought out plan. This black mage must be vastly intelligent," Fuji muttered, shifting to find a more comfortable position.

"We're going back to my father to explain this too him. If he won't listen I'm afraid I might have to talk to the white mages there and pull rank. They know it's useless for them to stay there but won't leave because of my father. If I allow them to leave though I'm sure they'll be willing to follow us," the youngest sorcerer exclaimed.

The four froze when a loud hiss emanated from both Kaidoh and his familiar. "Sleep..." he ordered.

Inui smirked as he wrote something down quickly. "I suggest we do what he says. He can get pretty violent if he's woken up too much."

Echizen nodded in agreement. Fuji yawned as he shifted off Tezuka's lap.

"Time for bed," he murmured.

Tezuka said nothing as he laid down, his boyfriend immediately slipping his body around his. The other shifted around the campsite, settling down before allowing themselves to sleep.

TBC...

(1) I just couldn't help myself. Echizen has to say Mada Mada Dane. Him not saying it is like... well Kaidoh not hissing. It just doesn't happen. And for you who don't watch PoT as much as the rest of us this pretty much means... lots more to work on. Or something to that extent. Pretty much Echizen saying you have to do a lot more to be able to even come close to beating me. He's such a stuck up little brat but we love him.

Darn my sister! I got her into PoT and told her about this story and she had to give me all these new ideas that involve a whole bunch more characters. It was just going to be demons attacking but now we have the black mage in charge of it all... anyone want to take a guess as to who it will be? Just a hint... it will be someone from one of the rival teams.


	3. Chapter Three

Passing Destinies

Chapter Three

Wavy, black hair was pushed back as dark blue eyes stared at the map sprawled out on the onyx marble table. Lips curled up in a twisted grin as he marked an x over three of the towns. Laugher erupted from his mouth as he realized how close he was to victory.

"Hajime, your evil maniacal laughter woke me up," a soft voice whined from behind the chair.

Mizuki rolled his eyes, turning to gaze at the speaker. The teen was almost naked, clad only in a pair of blue boxers. Brown hair was tousled as he yawned, rubbing his eyelids.

"Yuuta, you just don't grasp the significance of the situation."

"I know I know one step closer to world domination. Happy days are indeed here," Yuuta muttered.

The black haired teen sighed. "I don't know why I bother with you anymore."

The brunette yawned as he walked over. He then proceeded to sit on Mizuki's lap, resting his head against the other's shoulder. "You just can't resist my charms I guess."

"Either that or your ass."

Gray orbs widened in shock. "I can't believe you just said that."

"And I can't believe you're sitting on me. I told you you're too heavy," Mizuki commented.

"I'm not too heavy, you're too skinny," the younger male exclaimed.

"I'm not too skinny; you just eat too much pie."

"It's just raspberry pie. Get it right," Yuuta pointed out.

The black haired individual couldn't help but laugh. He then tilted the brunette's head up, brushing their lips together.

"I don't know what I would do without you," Mizuki murmured.

"Be very very bored," the other added as he kissed his lover back. The kiss was deepened as the black haired teen slid his hands up and down the other's bare back. Mizuki released his lips, leaning down to run his tongue across his neck and throat. The younger male moaned softly, shifting on his lap to give him better access.

The sound of a throat clearing broke the older male from his enjoyable task. He sighed as he looked up, his gaze raking over the new arrival. The male wore all black with a blood red cloak. His white hair stood almost straight up on his head, brown eyes glancing at the couple with annoyance prominent in those orbs.

"You always pick the worst times to come back," Yuuta protested.

"If you need a few more minutes to finish screwing each other I could always come back later," the newcomer said coldly.

"Akutsu, you really need to learn to be more tactful. And before you start, I know, don't tell you what to do. I hope you were successful on your undercover mission," Mizuki exclaimed.

"Yes, I got your information on the King's white mages."

Yuuta sighed as he realized their playtime was long forgotten. "Why again do you need knowledge about the white mages when both Akutsu and you are one?" he inquired.

"Now Yuuta, you know I'm a black mage. I only have the white magic because my mother gave it to me when she died and my father wanted me trained to control the demons. You were there after all. You're the one that let the white mage that was training me escape," Mizuki stated.

The younger male pouted, "I couldn't help it. I was ten and he said he'd give me pie."

"It was quite funny to come back and see you on the counter eating pie. I can't believe he actually made you a pie before bolting though," Mizuki said with a chuckle.

"Yeah well your dad wasn't too amused. He would have hurt me if you hadn't stopped him," Yuuta commented softly.

"Luckily we don't have to worry about him anymore," the older mage pointed out.

"That accident that happened when you were twelve. I can't believe those demons just attacked for no reason," Yuuta exclaimed.

_'That would be because I ordered them to. Who are they going to obey, the one with no powers or the one who can destroy them? Father you quickly outlasted your usefulness._' Mizuki grinned evilly at the thought.

"Are we done yet?" Akutsu asked impatiently.

"I swear you need to get that stick out of your butt and fast. I think he needs sex badly," Yuuta said with a snicker.

"Behave Yuuta. You know he hasn't gotten over that little cutie he liked before he came here. Such a shame the poor thing had to be killed. Now if only the King had actually cared about his countrymen, he would have sent more white mages to the attacked town. Just shows you how desperately the country needs a new ruler. If I was..." Mizuki's speech came to a halt with the sound of breaking glass.

He turned to look at the destroyed mirror, the blood dripping from Akutsu's clenched fist. Mizuki smirked at the sight.

"I do believe I've upset him. We'll talk later. Right now I suggest you go and have Oshitari fix your hand," Mizuki instructed.

Akutsu glared, eyes piercing with anger. "Don't tell me what to do," he growled as he stomped out of the room.

"You know Gakuto and Yushi will not be amused you sent him to them that angry," Yuuta pointed out. He sighed as he slipped out of Mizuki's lap. He then stretched before he made his way to the dresser beside the bed.

"What do you think you're doing?" the older teen inquired.

"Getting dressed," Yuuta answered.

Mizuki strolled over and took the shirt from the younger male. He then tossed it to the floor. In one fluent motion the brunette was sprawled on the bed, Mizuki poised on top of him.

"Did I say we were done?" he murmured before leaning in.

"Nya! This town is so big!" Kikumaru squealed as he bounced down the main street of the town, dodging people and horses alike.

Fuji smiled brightly, opening his eyes slightly to inspect the new surroundings. The town was huge compared to their hometown, with buildings that contained several floors each.

"How backwater was your home? This is nothing compared to the capital," the prince exclaimed. He scowled as he set his familiar to the ground, "We're in the town, and you're walking now."

"Got it. Alright! No dirt floors for us tonight. I want in a warm bed," the cat announced.

"If you don't behave I'll kick you out of the room," Echizen warned.

"So what I can always sleep with Eiji. He thinks I'm the neatest thing in the world," Karupin said proudly.

"Just shows you what a small town they came from," Kaidoh muttered.

"Every building in their hometown was only one floor with the biggest structure being the one inn in the whole area," Inui informed.

"How does he keep doing that?" Fuji inquired.

"It's like a gift... or a curse depending on how you look at it," Echizen remarked.

"Syusuke, shouldn't we make sure Eiji doesn't run into..." Tezuka frowned as he heard the hyperactive teen yelp.

Fuji sighed as he noticed that Echizen and Kaidoh were smirking while Inui was once again jotting down notes. "We better go get him and apologize to whoever he hit."

Kikumaru meanwhile was rubbing his head, muttering about pain.

"Oh my gosh. Are you alright? I'm so sorry I should have been watching where I was going."

"It's not your fault. I was just so excited about being in this town I wasn't paying attention," the redhead exclaimed.

"Well let me help you up at least."

Kikumaru grinned as the teen held his hand out. As soon as he was up blue eyes took in the onyx flat hair with two strands in front of his forehead. Friendly green eyes gazed at him. The black cloak instantly told Kikumaru the male's occupation.

"You're a white mage! Nya! That is so cool. Wish I could do neat stuff like magic," the blue eyed male squealed.

The other teen grinned, amused greatly by how energetic the redhead was_. 'He's definitely cute.'_ The red hair that curled out on each side, the bright blue eyes, and even the bandage on his cheek all added an adorable charm to his appearance.

"My name is Syuichiroh Oishi. May I know yours?" the white mage asked.

"Oh where are my manners? Syusuke is always staying I just don't have any common sense. My name is Eiji Kikumaru."

"Eiji you do really need to watch out more," a familiar voice called from behind the two. The redhead turned to glance at his brother, pouting softly.

"I'm sorry. Just couldn't help myself. But I met Oishi and he's really neat! He's a white mage!" Kikumaru informed.

"Sorry for my brother. He is usually a bit to hyperactive for most people's tastes. My name is Syusuke Fuji and this is Kunimitsu Tezuka."

"Oishi? What are you doing here? Did my father send you out for any apparent reason or did he just go and say find some demons?" Echizen asked.

"Prince Echizen? Shouldn't you be in the castle? Although it is good to see you," Oishi said with a bow.

The prince sighed as he rolled his eyes. "How many times have I told you not to bow to me?"

Oishi blushed at the comment. "I've lost count."

"And you'll never learn. I left with these two about a week after my father sent you out. The towns around theirs were being attacked and my father wouldn't send any help, so I went myself. I'm kind of surprised you didn't know about it. It has been a month since I left. I figured you would have been back to the castle by then. Has Banji been slowing you down? My father just doesn't realize that after a time white mages are too old to go traveling long distances," Echizen stated with a shake of his head.

"Actually... he's one of the reasons it's been so long. He was killed in one of the attacks," Oishi said softly.

"Oh... I'm sorry. He was a nice old man, although slightly creepy at times. Did he happen to pass his powers to anyone?"

Oishi sighed as he rubbed his head. "Yeah... although I'm not sure about his choice of receiver."

"What do you mean?" the Prince inquired.

Oishi took several feet to the side of the road, standing in front of a big oak tree. He pointed upward without answering. Everyone glanced up, noting the lone figure sleeping soundly among the branches.

"Well let's wake him up then," Karupin exclaimed as he bolted up the tree.

"No! Oh please don't wake him up!" the white mage pleaded.

"Oh my gosh! It's a talking cat! That is so cool! How do you talk? Is it like magic? That is so neat! I wish I had a talking cat. Can I have you as a pet? Are you like a familiar? Cause I know that cats can't normally talk but familiars can so I'm assuming you're a familiar but I didn't think they talked to anyone but their master. I'm not your master am I? I know that Oishi said I'm a white mage so I could have a familiar right? Am I right? Am I? Am I?"

The cat hissed before racing down the tree to hide behind Echizen.

"And I thought Kikumaru was bad," Kaidoh muttered. His snake hissed in agreement, wrapping tighter around the male's waist.

The teen jumped from the tree, brown eyes wide with curiosity. His orangish brown hair was tangled and covered with random leafs from the branches.

"Everyone this is our new white mage, Jiroh Akutagawa."

TBC...

Hi all! Just so everyone knows I'm planning on tweaking the first two chapters. I just realized that some of them would actually call each other by their first names... like Kikumaru and Fuji... not to mention the lovers. I also didn't even bother to give first names during the introductions. So I wanted to revamp the previous chapters and change some of the names around with first and last names. Can get confusing in the series when mostly everyone gets called by their last names.... But I know sometimes they don't so I wanted to try and be more accurate. I just wanted to let everyone know that so they don't get confused with the suddenly flux in calling people by first names in this chapter. I will get the others fixed to reflect this. Hope everyone enjoys this fic so far and if you guess Mizuki as the main bad guy then you deserve some pocky.

_(Nagi wants some pocky for trying to keep track of all these characters! )_


	4. Chapter 4

Passing Destinies

Chapter Four

"So then we got to Teska and Oishi showed me around the town, which was great because they had all these little shops by the road. One had these neat little glass containers, one had silver weapons, oh my gosh there was the coolest sword there and oh look! There's a dog chasing a squirrel outside," the orange haired teen rambled on, unknowing that his audience was half asleep.

"Does he ever shut up?" Echizen murmured.

The white mage shook his head sadly, "I'm afraid not. Unless he falls asleep, which I must admit happens at the most random times."

"You think you could make that random time now?" Kaidoh hissed.

Fuji chuckled at the comment. He scanned around the room before asking, "Now where has my brother run off too?"

"How do you do that with your eyes closed? It's so neat! Is it like x-ray vision? Or some form of magic? You're not a sorcerer are you?" Jiroh inquired, bouncing in his seat.

"It's a gift," was all the smiling brunette would say.

"I think Eiji is outside with the talking cat," Tezuka answered.

"That sounds like a dangerous combination," his lover remarked with a smirk.

"Well let's go find him! I'm sure he's in the middle of something cool! Like using your cat in some high stakes game of poker where Karupin meows once if the guy is bluffing and twice if he actually has a good hand. That would be awesome!" Jiroh squealed as he bolted out of the room.

"I'm about this close to ringing his neck. Do you really need another white mage?" Kaidoh remarked.

"My data shows that the kingdom has only three mages that are effective. One is in essence useless since she is not allowed to leave the castle. Another is injured and currently under bed rest and the other is currently on a mission in an undisclosed location," Inui informed.

"Undisclosed as in my father said go find some monsters to kill and he went off to find them. Who knows where he is now," Echizen murmured.

"We need Jiroh. I just hope I have time to train him before anything bad happens. That's always the difficult part when a new white mage is turned," Oishi explained.

"Is it hard to train a white mage?" Fuji asked.

"Not hard. Just takes a lot of discipline and focus. If you can't stay focused it really difficult to learn anything," the black haired individual stated.

"Oh cool! Everyone come quickly! This is so cool!" the new white mage screamed from outside.

"We're doomed," the prince muttered.

"I suppose we better go before he comes back to drag us all out," Syusuke said with a smirk. He made his way out of the room, then the building. The others followed closely behind him. As soon as they hit the street the hyperactive teen was upon them.

"Come on! You're too slow!" he complained, grabbing Fuji by his hand. He then dragged him across the road.

The group blinked in surprise at the large group of people surrounding the town square. In the center of the mass stood one lone individual; garbed in crushed velvet outfit, with several scarves of various colors wrapped around his waist and draping down his legs. His short gray hair was set perfectly, without a strand out of place. He had an air of self-importance around him, as if he were the best person in the world.

"Now ladies, there's plenty of me to go around. I'll gladly perform personally for any of you, for a small fee but of course. But trust me any small fee is worth it for perfection," the teen informed, proudly.

"Where here of all places does he have to show up?" Echizen exclaimed, rubbing his forehead to try and stop the headache that had already started. He began muttering, "Please don't let him see me, Please don't let him see me."

"Well what do we have here? My dear prince it has been awhile since I've visited the castle. I do believe this is in need of song," the flashy teen exclaimed, spotting the royalty in the crowd. The women squealed, all thoughts of the prince gone as the teen began to sing.

"Life has ending

Even lights of passion glowing

Ichidokiri no butai sa

Keep on dancing

Till the night turn into daylight

Tamerawazu ni You've got to break out

Life is fighting

Knowing no one never stay along

Subete wa jibun shidai." (1)

The audience cheered as the young minstrel continued to sing.

"He doesn't sing that well. Why is everyone cheering? (2)" Eiji whispered as he came up to his brother.

"So is this where you ran off to?" Fuji asked; glad to see that his brother was safe and sound.

"Yeah, I wanted to see what the commotion was about. Karupin told me that his name's Keigo Atobe and he's a traveling minstrel that likes to go to the castle a lot," the red head stated.

"My father seems to think he's the greatest singer in the world. I don't really see it. He just sucks up to me because I'm the prince," Echizen claimed.

"We should probably get out of here before he finishes singing. My data shows that the probability the people will come after us after the song is very high because the prince is here," Inui informed.

"Definitely a good idea," Tezuka agreed. He turned to move only to stumble as he tripped. He blinked in shock, his gaze on the ground. "Jiroh is on the ground."

"He fell asleep because of the singing," Kikumaru said with a laugh. Several of the others snickered at the comment.

"I can't help it if my voice is so soothing it can put even the most enthusiastic of individuals asleep," a smug voice said from behind them.

Eiji flushed as he realized the singer was behind him. He quickly darted behind his brother.

"I know everyone would just love to hear another song but I'm afraid I must part for a few minutes. I'll only be gone a short while. Feel free to wait for me because I promise I shall return to this very spot," Atobe announced to the crowd, "Kabaji, grab the boy."

"Whoa! He's huge!" Kikumaru exclaimed as the tall figure stepped up to them. He said nothing as he lifted the orange haired teen with no effort, throwing him over his shoulder.

"Shall we take our leave?" the singer stated and with a flurry of silk he turned, walking towards the closest inn.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The teen gasped as he raced down the darkened street. The town was silence except for the random chirps from various insects. The world was a mass of noisy chaos for the exhausted individual however. He cried out as he tugged at his locks of curly black hair, "Why won't you leave me alone!"

"_They're coming to get you." "They're going to hurt you." "Get away from there. Get away! They're going to drug you." "The drugs hurt so badly. Please make them stop." "I don't want to hurt anymore."_

The slender male screamed as he dug his fingers into his head, forcing short nails as deep as they would go. He ripped at his skin, the blood slowly dripping from the small wounds.

"I have to get away. They'll leave me alone if I get away," he muttered. He winced as he glanced at his right arm, which was caked with dried blood. '_I think I got all the glass out._'

"_Run away. Get away from there." "Get away from the bad place." "They're going to hurt us." "The drugs hurt! They hurt!" _

"I already broke through the glass window to get out of the place. What more do you want? Leave me alone!"

He collapsed to the ground, his body demanding rest. '_I have to keep moving. If I get to the library I'll be safe. They'll quiet there._'

"_Get up!" "What's wrong with you? Why are you resting?" "We don't have time for rest. They'll get you if you rest."_

He cried, wiping tears from red eyes as he forced himself up. With shaky legs he continued down the road, finally sobbing when he reached the desired building. He threw himself against the locked door, banging on the wooden frame.

"Yanagi! Yanagi! Where are you?" he screamed, "Help me."

He curled up in a ball against the wall of the building, repeating the other's name over and over again.

"Oh Akaya," a voice said softly.

Kirahara cried out, throwing himself against the other male.

"They won't leave me alone. They wanted me to leave the hospital so I did. Make them leave," the teen whimpered, rocking against the warm figure.

"Come on. We'll get you inside. Get you into some dry clothes and you can spend the night," Renji stated, keeping his voice at the same gentle tone.

Kirahara nodded, sighing in relief at the silence in his head. He didn't understand why but ever since he had met the librarian the voices would quiet. When the quiet man held him the constant screams would completely vanish. Yanagi had claimed it was a gift that he was born with, an ability to calm even the most scared individual. '_Frankly I don't care what it is. I just need him._'

The librarian pulled the injured teen into his arms, chiding him about how light he felt. '_Why am I so fascinated with this fragile creature in my arms?_' With one final look around the street to make sure the teen had not been followed Renji carried the distraught individual into the building.

TBC…

The song that Atobe was singing was one of his Image songs. The name of the song was Energeia and I got the lyrics from if anyone is interested.

Ok I just couldn't help myself. Everyone seems to love Atobe's singing voice from all the various CDs he has out but I really can't stand it.

Yay muses! giggles So I cleaned up the other chapters and changed some of the names. So hard to figure out PoT with all the last names thrown around… makes it hard to figure out what name to use half the time. But yay I finally got to put in Kirahara… I've wanted to write his part for awhile.

Nagi – I'd like to know how you're going to keep them all straight. Do you have a map there somewhere?


End file.
